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Occupational exposure to electromagnetic fields and sex-differential risk of uveal melanoma

Behrens, Thomas ; Lynge, Elsebeth ; Cree, Ian ; Sabroe, Svend ; Lutz, Jean-Michel ; Afonso, Noemia ; Eriksson, Mikael LU orcid ; Guenel, Pascal ; Merletti, Franco and Morales-Suarez-Varela, Maria , et al. (2010) In Occupational and Environmental Medicine 67(11). p.751-759
Abstract
Objectives The association between occupational exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) and the risk of uveal melanoma was investigated in a case-control study in nine European countries. Methods Incident cases of uveal melanoma and population as well as hospital controls were included and frequency matched by country, 5-year birth cohort and sex. Subjects were asked whether they had worked close to high-voltage electrical transmission installations, computer screens and various electrical machines, or in complex electrical environments. Measurements of two Scandinavian job-exposure matrices were applied to estimate lifelong cumulative EMF exposure. Unconditional logistic regression analyses, stratified by sex and eye colour were... (More)
Objectives The association between occupational exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) and the risk of uveal melanoma was investigated in a case-control study in nine European countries. Methods Incident cases of uveal melanoma and population as well as hospital controls were included and frequency matched by country, 5-year birth cohort and sex. Subjects were asked whether they had worked close to high-voltage electrical transmission installations, computer screens and various electrical machines, or in complex electrical environments. Measurements of two Scandinavian job-exposure matrices were applied to estimate lifelong cumulative EMF exposure. Unconditional logistic regression analyses, stratified by sex and eye colour were calculated, adjusting for several potential confounders. Results 293 patients with uveal melanoma and 3198 control subjects were interviewed. Women exposed to electrical transmission installations showed elevated risks (OR 5.81, 95% CI 1.72 to 19.66). Positive associations with exposure to control rooms were seen among men and women, but most risk increases were restricted to subjects with dark iris colour. Application of published EMF measurements revealed stronger risk increases among women compared to men. Again, elevated risks were restricted to subjects with dark eye colour. Conclusion Although based on a low prevalence of exposure to potential occupational sources of EMF, our data indicate that exposed dark-eyed women may be at particular risk for uveal melanoma. (Less)
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Occupational and Environmental Medicine
volume
67
issue
11
pages
751 - 759
publisher
BMJ Publishing Group
external identifiers
  • wos:000283175500006
  • scopus:78149363977
  • pmid:20798011
ISSN
1470-7926
DOI
10.1136/oem.2009.052225
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
3586a9b7-a916-4fa7-8c6a-58039d0de488 (old id 1720657)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 13:01:10
date last changed
2022-01-27 08:51:40
@article{3586a9b7-a916-4fa7-8c6a-58039d0de488,
  abstract     = {{Objectives The association between occupational exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) and the risk of uveal melanoma was investigated in a case-control study in nine European countries. Methods Incident cases of uveal melanoma and population as well as hospital controls were included and frequency matched by country, 5-year birth cohort and sex. Subjects were asked whether they had worked close to high-voltage electrical transmission installations, computer screens and various electrical machines, or in complex electrical environments. Measurements of two Scandinavian job-exposure matrices were applied to estimate lifelong cumulative EMF exposure. Unconditional logistic regression analyses, stratified by sex and eye colour were calculated, adjusting for several potential confounders. Results 293 patients with uveal melanoma and 3198 control subjects were interviewed. Women exposed to electrical transmission installations showed elevated risks (OR 5.81, 95% CI 1.72 to 19.66). Positive associations with exposure to control rooms were seen among men and women, but most risk increases were restricted to subjects with dark iris colour. Application of published EMF measurements revealed stronger risk increases among women compared to men. Again, elevated risks were restricted to subjects with dark eye colour. Conclusion Although based on a low prevalence of exposure to potential occupational sources of EMF, our data indicate that exposed dark-eyed women may be at particular risk for uveal melanoma.}},
  author       = {{Behrens, Thomas and Lynge, Elsebeth and Cree, Ian and Sabroe, Svend and Lutz, Jean-Michel and Afonso, Noemia and Eriksson, Mikael and Guenel, Pascal and Merletti, Franco and Morales-Suarez-Varela, Maria and Stengrevics, Aivars and Fevotte, Joelle and Llopis-Gonzalez, Agustin and Gorini, Giuseppe and Sharkova, Galina and Hardell, Lennart and Ahrens, Wolfgang}},
  issn         = {{1470-7926}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{11}},
  pages        = {{751--759}},
  publisher    = {{BMJ Publishing Group}},
  series       = {{Occupational and Environmental Medicine}},
  title        = {{Occupational exposure to electromagnetic fields and sex-differential risk of uveal melanoma}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/oem.2009.052225}},
  doi          = {{10.1136/oem.2009.052225}},
  volume       = {{67}},
  year         = {{2010}},
}